Bullet-proofing materials are known and have been used to protect vehicles, facilities, equipment and personnel. Armor for resisting gunfire or explosions is very difficult, heavy and takes a lot of time and planning to install. Soldiers and security officers in the field often find themselves utilizing stock, civilian vehicles or inadequately armored vehicles offering little to no protection. Most armoring has to be built into the vehicle as it is produced at the factory or weeks of adapting armor by major disassembly and reassembly.
A similar problem exists in architectural situations. Because of the complexity and time involved, armoring is often not installed. This invention allows anyone with minimal mechanical skills to apply a bullet resistant material very quickly and easily. A stock vehicle (including a new, used, leased or rented one) can receive armoring into the doors, floor, side panels and roof within hours and without highly skilled personnel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,500, issued to Podvin, describes bullet-proofing panel for attachment to the exterior door surfaces of a police cruiser or the like, the panel having an outer polymeric skin having a contour corresponding to the contour of the sheet metal of the vehicle's doors. The polymeric skin member when affixed to the outer sheet metal panels of the vehicle's doors defines a predetermined space or pocket therebetween which contains a barrier member, preferably a woven KEVLAR® material, capable of stopping bullets from practically all handguns. Because the outer polymeric skin can be shaped to follow the contours of the original vehicle and painted to match, the bullet-proof panel does not detract from the overall ornamental appearance of the vehicle.